Apparatus for fluid lift of liquids



July 12, 1932. w, p HASEMAN 1,866,972

APPARATUS FOR FLUID LIFT OF LIQUIDS i Filed Sept. 15, 1930 Patented July 12, 1932 WILLiAM r. HAsniuAN, or OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA APPARATUS I EOR FLUID LIFT OF LIQUIDS Application filed September 15, 1930. Serial No. 481,927.

fluids in the tube aerate the fluid column which in turn is supported and lifted by the fluid pressure at the point where the fluids enter the tube. The gas and vapor volumes assume shapes and states during the advance of the fluid stream whereby they become disengaged from the liquid in the fluid stream, thereby inelfectively aerating the fluid col umn and materially interfering with the elf} cient flow of the fluids through the tube.

to The fluid stream will therefore consist of gas and vapor volumes which abruptly slip or slide upwards through the liquid while the liquid volumes abruptly fall back downward in the tube thereby producing turbulence at 25 various positions in and along the tube much of the nature of the turbulence caused by flowing the fluid stream through a restricted opening in the tube, with the result that only apart of the larger gas and vapor volumes are subdivided and redistributed in the fluid stream. This turbulent motion method of aeration not only consumes much energy without securing and maintaining a fluid stream of a homogeneous mixture of gas, vapor and liquid with uniform flow but is also most hazardous in that it aids materially in producing emulsions in those cases where the oil wells yields some water with the oil.

The object of my invenion is to provide a device whereby gas and vapor volumes which have become disengaged from the liquid in the fluid stream are received and collected at designated positions along the flow tube and are subdivided and returned into the fluid stream without agitation and turbulence from increased speed of the fluids and with a minimum loss of energy. A further fea ture of the invention resides in the provision of means for securing and maintaining an automatic and efficient stage aeration and lift, thereby being able to start and maintain the lift or flow of fluids with materially less pressure and volume of gas and vapor, and to secure and maintain a more homogeneous mixture of liquid, gas and vapor throughout the fluid stream with a controlled and eflicient pressure gradient throughout the length of the flow tube.

V lVith the above and other objects in view the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, arrangement of parts and use as illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein:

The figure represents a diagrammatic view of an aeration unit, similar and like units being placed at designated positions in and along a flow tube. Numeral]. represents the outer tube of the aeration chamber screwed into or welded to a reducing coupling, numeral 3, at either end. Numeral 4 represents the flow-tube screwed into the couplings 3, through which thefluid stream enters and leaves the aeration chamber. Numeral 6 represents either a check or ball valve which seats onseat 5 placed preferably in the bottom of the aeration. chamber but may be placed above it. Numeral 2 represents a tube screwed into and held by the reducing coupling 7 in the aeration chamber. Tube 2 receives and collects the disengaged gas and vapor volumes in its upper end and subdivides and returns them into the fluid stream through the openings in its boundary wall.

The operation of the aeration unit is as follows :The fluids from the Well, operated either with natural flow or air-gas lift method, enter the flow tube 4 beneath an aeration chamber. From tube 4 they flow through the check valve 6 and enter the tube 2. The disengaged gas and vapor volumes in the fluid stream move upward in tube 2 and are received and collected in the upper end of the tube thereby forcing the liquid to flow from the tube through the drilled holes in its lower end. These holes are drilled so as to direct the fluid stream upward into the annular chamber between the tubes 1 and 2. They have a total flow cross section of sufficient size as will not restrict theflow or produce turbulence. The holes near the I holds the gas and vapor. 2 and the size and distribution of the holes in it should have a wide range. A ten foot tube preferably has holes drilled through the boundary wall of the lower half while the upper half is used as a reservoir for gas and vapor. The larger holes near the bottom end, in general, should not have a diameter greater than one-half inch while the holes adjacent to the gas and vapor reservoir should not exceed one-eighth inch in diameter. The number of holes should be such and so located as to offer a sufficiently large flow section that the pressure drop across the aeration unit will be small. The cross sec tion of tube 2 and the annular cross section between tubes 1 and 2 are such as not to produce an abnormal pressure drop in the unit. The holes in tube 2 are drilled at a sharp angle to the wall of the tube to prevent an excessive change in the direction of the fluid ferred embodiment of the apparatus to be employed in connection therewith, it is to be understood that the details of procedure of the method and the shape, size, number and arrangement of parts of the apparatus may be widely varied without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim Apparatus of the nature specified, comprising a flow tube, means for supplying a fluid to the interior of said flow tube, an inverted tube with perforations in its lower section, said inverted tube being mounted within the flow tube, dividing it into a lower section and an upper section and providing an aeration chamber for regulating the fluid stream through the flow tube.

In testimony I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM P. HASEMAN.

stream, particularly the liquid part of the stream, through the aeration unit. The openings furnish a means whereby the larger gas and vapor volumes held either in the fluid stream or the gas and vapor reservoir will be subdivided and reintroduced as smaller volumes into the fluid stream in the annular space between tubes 1 and 2.

The check valve 6 will prevent undue slipping backwards of liquid particularly when the flow is shut in. This valve offers in combination with the aeration chamber a ready and eflective means for starting and maintaining the flow upon opening the flow tube. My flow tube with the valve and aeration chamber requires less pressure and volume of gas to operate it than does the standard flow tube. The check valve 6 is preferably of such a size as to offer little or no restriction to the fluid flow.

The lift of liquids in the invention will be started as in standard lift devices. In case the well has sulficient pressure and gas and vapor in the rock reservoir to flow naturally, the fluids will be supplied to and flowed through the flow tube by the pressure maintained in the well by the fluids in'the rock reservoir. The gas and vapor in the fluids will aerate the fluid column. In case the well does not have suflicient pressure and gas and vapor in the rock reservoir to flow and lift the fluids additional gas should be introduced into the fluids in the lower end of the flow tube by well known and established means and thus provide additional gas with which to aerate the fluid column, thereby aiding the pressure and gas and vapor in the rock formation to lift and flow the column of fluid into and in the well and through the flow tube.

While I have described in detail the preferred practice of my method and the pre- 

